Proper Patient Transfer Technique

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends that, "Manual lifting of residents be minimized in all cases and eliminated when feasible." The American Nursing Association finds that, "Every day, nurses suffer career-ending and life-altering injuries from repeatedly lifting and moving patients," and outlines sound ergonomic practices to help transfer patients properly. The same principles apply to caregivers transferring patients in home settings.

Proper Transfer Techniques

• Use lifts, transfer boards, adjustable beds and gait belts.
  Medicare may cover the cost of a lift or hospital bed for a bed-bound patient in the home setting. The 2002 study, "An ergonomic comparison between mechanical and manual patient transfer techniques" found that "manual patient transfer and repositioning techniques are a significant cause of low back injuries," and showed that using lifts placed less stress on the low back than manual patient transfer techniques.

  Promote patient independence during transfers. In "Evidence-Based Practices for Safe Patient Handling and Movement," Registered Nurse Audrey Nelson and Medical Assistant Andrea Baptiste state, "Patients should be encouraged to assist in their own transfers and handling aids must be used whenever possible." Some patients are capable of performing their own transfers using a mechanical lift.

  Learn proper body mechanics. This is not as effective as using assisting devices for injury prevention, but it does lower risk.

  Team lifting reduces injury risk if more than one person is available.

Ineffective Patient Transfer Strategies

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration studies have shown that using back belts will not prevent injury. The American Nursing Association finds that nursing school curricula are teaching outdated transfer techniques that rely too heavily on manual lifting and do not familiarize caregivers with lift-assist devices.